The Division Avenue Dragons look forward to the beginning of the 2001 high school baseball season. Despite a poor showing in the county tournament last season, after coming in first place in league play, the Dragons have a lot to look forward to this season. This year's league is one of the most competitive leagues in the history of Nassau County high school baseball. This year's league consists of a very tough MacArthur team, who returns a lot of starters from last year's team; Garden City, who were the New York State Champs for the 2000 season, and who eliminated the Dragons from the county tournament last season; Wantagh, the 2000 county finalist, who won the state title in 1998; and a very overlooked Hewlett team, who played very tough last season and returns some key players.

To go along with these tough games the Dragons also play crossover games against League B-2, with Floral Park, Glen Cove, New Hyde Park, West Hempstead, and Bellmore Kennedy.

Although the competition is tough, the Dragons themselves return a lot of players from last season and they have been working as hard as they ever have to get themselves ready for a very competitive season. They all know that every time the team walks onto the field this season it will be like playing a play-off game.

The members of this year's team are: P.J. Antoniato (P-SS), who was selected to both the All County and All-State teams last year; Will Carbone (1st-P); Chris Cardone (C); Chris Castellano (C-OF); Kevin Darcey (OF); Mike Esposito (3rd); Keith Feldman (OF); Eric Fierro (C), who has been All County for the last two years as well as being selected to the All-State team in 1999; Josh Flinn (P-2nd); Mike Hublitz (OF); Steve Juliano (3rd-SS-P), who was selected to the All County team last year; Gene Lampione (OF); Tom Messina (OF); Ray Montoro (1st-3rd-P), who played for the 15-year-old National Champion Old Westbury Seawolves this past summer and was selected to the All Tournament team; Kevin Mulstay (P); Ryan O'Shea (P); Shawn Sewith (C-OF); Phil Stumph (P), an All-League player last season; Jeff Tamarez (2nd), an All-League player from last year; Dan Weingart (P); and Vinnie Zupo. This group of young men bring together a nice combination of senior leadership coupled with some experienced youth that is necessary to have a successful team.

Although the Dragons are certainly not considered a favorite in this league with the top three finishing teams in last year's county tournament all in this rough division, they do look forward to playing against all these good teams. It is a well known fact that tough competition brings out the best in a talented ballplayer and this year's ball players look forward to seeing how they measure up against the teams that were the best teams in Nassau County last year.

The Division Avenue Blue Dragons won their season-opening game by defeating a very tough Locust Valley team. The Dragons found themselves down 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning with men on second and third with two out. Jeff Tamarez was the batter and hit a slow roller to short that scored Keith Feldman with the tying run. When Tamarez beat out the throw at first for an infield single, rightfielder Tom Messina hustled from second to home, scoring on a bang bang play, just beating the throw from the first baseman for the go ahead run that eventually became the winning run.

Division scored their fourth run, an insurance run, in the seventh inning when Steve Juliano knocked in PJ Antoniato on a line drive single to centerfield. Division's defense was keyed by several big plays by Antoniato, Eric Fierro, Ryan Darcey, and Will Carbone.

Division's offense was led by Juliano and Antoniato who both had two hits, while Tamarez added two RBIs. Fierro and Mike Hublitz both had doubles for the Dragons.

This week the Dragons open their league season with crossover games against Floral Park, Glen Cove, and New Hyde Park.